Dark-throated Thrush
Encyclopedia
The Dark-throated Thrush (Turdus ruficollis) is a passerine
bird in the thrush
family. It has two races: T. r. atrogularis, the Black-throated Thrush
, and T. r. ruficollis, the Red-throated Thrush
. These are sometimes considered different species. The Dark-throated Thrush is a migratory
Asia
n taiga
species, while the ruficollis variant breeds further east, but the ranges overlap.
These are large thrushes
with a plain grey back and reddish underwings. The adult male atrogularis has a black throat, while ruficollis has a red throat. Females and young birds lack the bib, but have black-streaked underparts.
This bird
species is a rare vagrant to western Europe
. Most visitors are of the black-throated form.
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird in the thrush
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
family. It has two races: T. r. atrogularis, the Black-throated Thrush
Black-throated Thrush
The Black-throated Thrush is a passerine bird in the thrush family. It is sometimes regarded as one subspecies of a polytypic species, "Dark-throated Thrush", Red-throated Thrush then being the other subspecies....
, and T. r. ruficollis, the Red-throated Thrush
Red-throated Thrush
The Red-throated Thrush is a passerine bird in the thrush family. It is sometimes regarded as one subspecies of a polytypic species, "Dark-throated Thrush", Black-throated Thrush then being the other subspecies. More recent treatments regard the two as separate species.The Red-throated Thrush is a...
. These are sometimes considered different species. The Dark-throated Thrush is a migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
species, while the ruficollis variant breeds further east, but the ranges overlap.
These are large thrushes
Thrush (bird)
The thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur worldwide.-Characteristics:Thrushes are plump, soft-plumaged, small to medium-sized birds, inhabiting wooded areas, and often feed on the ground or eat small fruit. The smallest thrush may be the Forest Rock-thrush, at and...
with a plain grey back and reddish underwings. The adult male atrogularis has a black throat, while ruficollis has a red throat. Females and young birds lack the bib, but have black-streaked underparts.
This bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
species is a rare vagrant to western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Most visitors are of the black-throated form.